


Deals Between Friends

by BreakfastTea



Category: MacGyver (TV 2016)
Genre: Creepy Murdoc (MacGyver TV 2016), Drugged Angus MacGyver (MacGyver TV 2016), Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Team Up
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-19
Updated: 2021-03-19
Packaged: 2021-03-28 19:15:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,516
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30144306
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BreakfastTea/pseuds/BreakfastTea
Summary: Mac knows it's never a good thing to wake up to the sound of Murdoc's voice...Murdoc's offering him a deal, but is it too good to be true? Only one way to find out.
Comments: 8
Kudos: 29





	Deals Between Friends

**Author's Note:**

> Halfway through Fanfic Friday 2021 already, wow! Hope you enjoy your Mac and Murdoc team up, Anon #4!

Coming around with a thudding headache was never, ever, a good sign.

“There he is!” A disturbingly familiar voice called from nearby. “It’s about time!”

If Mac could will himself both 1) unconscious again and 2) anywhere but here, he’d do it. Because he knew that voice, and he so didn’t want to be dealing with Murdoc when his head hurt this much.

“Yes, yes, I know. Probably hit you a little too hard, and I definitely dosed you more than I should have, but you never give me a choice in these matters. Well, neither does that loyal attack dog of yours either, but let’s put all that aside for just one minute, shall we?”

Jack. What had happened to Jack? They’d been hiking in the Hollywood Hills…

“Open your eyes and I’ll fill you in.”

Mac finally dragged his eyes open. His vision cleared and there was Murdoc, clapping in delight.

“We’re going to have so much fun today!” Murdoc declared.

Groaning, half in disgust and half in pain, Mac forced himself to sit upright. Looking past Murdoc, he saw they were in the back of a panel van. From the silence and lack of motion, they obviously weren’t going anywhere right now.

And he was handcuffs.

“What the hell do you want?” Mac asked. He shivered in the aching chill. This wasn’t just air conditioning. His bad feeling steadily worsened.

“I am so glad you asked!” Murdoc crouched down. “I need your help with something.”

Mac took a big breath. “No.”

Murdoc jabbed him in the chest. “I haven’t even told you what I need yet.”

“And I already don’t care,” Mac shot back. Murdoc’s version of needing help was always on the wrong side of the law.

“Interesting,” Murdoc said. “You’re not even curious as to why I’d go to all this effort?”

“No,” Mac said.

“Well, that’s a real shame,” Murdoc said. “Because I caught wind of something that’s definitely of interest to you and your Phoenix friends while also, can you believe it, providing me with a well-paid job.”

“Not interested,” Mac said.

“Oh, well then, I suppose we’ll just let the terrorists release the plague infected bees.” Murdoc sighed theatrically. “And there I was thinking you were one of the good guys, MacGyver. Truly, I have learned something new today.”

Murdoc had to be kidding. “Plague infected bees?” Mac echoed.

He shrugged. “I’m not the one who experiments with genetically modified pollen in a secret lab.”

Mac rolled his eyes. Ow. Bad idea. Murdoc had hit him hard before drugging him. “Isn’t that a plot from The X-Files?”

“Where do they think got they idea?” Murdoc asked.

Mac slumped against the van. “Wanna tell me the real reason I’m here?”

“Ugh, why must you be like this? Fine.” Murdoc jammed a hand into one pocket and pulled his phone out. He held it up to his face, the device unlocking. He tossed it to Mac, who just about managed to catch it. “Watch that.”

Mac saw a still-screen of bright white hydroponics bay. The equipment looked high end and expensive. He hit play, and watched the camera sweep over an array of plants that he didn’t immediately recognize. The camera moved down the lab, heading for a doorway. And the closer the camera got to the door, the louder a sound became.

A voice.

Screaming.

The camera raised to a porthole in the door. Beyond was a tiny chamber. And in that room was a person, huddled in a corner. Their skin was horribly burned and riddled with pus-filled boils. Gas visibly moved through the air. Coughing erupted, the sound so violent it took all of Mac’s self-control to not flinch. After a minute, the person slumped on their side, succumbing to a violent seizure. Foam erupted from their mouth and nose.

The video ended. Murdoc grabbed the phone. “Now do you believe me?”

“I didn’t see any bees,” Mac said, hoping the horror wasn’t obvious in his voice.

“So maybe I exaggerated a bit,” Murdoc said. “But there are flowers so the pollen part is there.”

“You’re telling me you actually want to stop whatever these people are doing?” Mac asked. He shifted, trying to find a more comfortable position. “What, out the goodness of your heart?”

“Did I not say I was in it for the money?” Murdoc asked. “Anyway, I thought you might like to satisfy your heroic needs and help me. Believe it or not, I don’t actually want the entire human race dead. Then who would I play with?”

What Mac really wanted to know was why anyone would pay Murdoc to do a job like this. He also figured they were more likely paying him to steal whatever bioweapon the lab had created. “Where is this place?”

“Oooh, not far away from here.”

Ice worked its way down Mac’s spine. “Where’s here?” he demanded.

“I do worry about you, Angus. You clearly needed rest. You slept for a very long time.”

The adrenaline cleared his head. “Murdoc, where are we?”

“Well, be glad I packed some warmer clothes for you, because let me tell you, it is cold out there!” He nodded his head in the direction of a duffle bag.

Mac yanked the cuffs holding him in place. Fucking Murdoc and his games. “Where are we?”

“Let’s just say Seattle isn’t far away.” Murdoc produced a water bottle and rolled it over. Mac was too thirsty not to open it and start drinking. “But before you do the math on how long it took us to get here and how long you’ve been in my clutches, I assure you, a helicopter was briefly involved in our journey north.”

“How many bullets did you put in the pilot?” Mac asked.

“Come now, have some faith. I wouldn’t want to upset my employer like that,” Murdoc said, a familiar mad glint in his eyes. “Besides, I intend to return you to LA later today.”

“You try anything, and I will stop you,” Mac said.

Murdoc yawned. “Boring. Heard it before. Play a new song, MacGyver.”

Mac’s gut sank. This wasn’t going to end well if he didn’t keep his guard up. “You gonna let me up so we can deal with whatever you’re messing with?”

“You promise to get me into that lab?” Murdoc asked.

“You promise not to steal any of whatever the hell it is they’re creating?”

Murdoc crossed a finger over his chest. “I swear to you, MacGyver, I have no intention of meddling with a bioweapon. Actually, I’m a little insulted you think I’d be that stupid.” He flattened a palm over his heart. “Hurt, Angus. You have hurt me.”

“And if I say no?” Mac asked before Murdoc could up the melodrama.

“Well, in that case, the attack dog and all your other buddies will have a very hard time putting your pieces back together again,” Murdoc said. He pulled knife out of his pocket, examining its wickedly sharp point with a loving gaze. “You and I have developed such a good relationship over the years, but we both know I’ll drop you in a heartbeat if I have to.”

“Fine,” Mac said. He knew better than to try and anticipate Murdoc’s moods. “Gonna release me?”

A paperclip landed on Mac’s lap. Murdoc turned away, opening the back of the van. Bitterly cold air swept in. “I’m sure you can manage,” Murdoc said. And with that, he jumped out the van and slammed the door shut behind him.

Rolling his eyes, regretting it instantly as it sent a fresh jolt of pain throbbing through his skull yet again, Mac grabbed the paperclip. When he was free, he grabbed the duffle bag and pulled out a hefty winter jacket. Putting it on, Mac opened the van and stepped out into a cold, grey day. Soft snow drifted lazily from the sky. Ahead was a grim street dominated by abandoned buildings. None of it looked familiar, and it was way too cold to be anywhere in California.

“You’re telling me this lab is here somewhere?” Mac asked.

“Under here, more accurately,” Murdoc said.

The fresh air revived Mac, clearing the lingering headache. He wanted to get this over with, before Murdoc’s playful mood came to an end. “What do you need me to do?”

“Get us in there and then figure out a way to make sure no one else can create the weapon they’ve made,” Murdoc said.

“Right.”

“Come along!” Murdoc said, locking the van and heading down the quiet street. “Let’s get this show on the road!”

Mac reluctantly followed Murdoc as he very nearly skipped down the street. He stopped at a building that had, at some point in its life, been a garage. Mac kept an eye out for any cameras or other security devices. Nothing.

Until Murdoc turned to go down an alleyway. There, he stopped, throwing an arm across Mac’s chest to keep him in place. He pointed to a camera above the backdoor, pointed at the ground so it would be able to see whoever approached the building. Murdoc popped a silencer on his weapon.

“Whoa! No!” Mac pushed the weapon down. “Let’s not leave a bullet trail.”

“Fine, Boy Scout, what do you recommend?”

Looking around, Mac spotted a trash bag fluttering around a lamppost.

“Give me a boost,” he said, pointing to the flat roof of the old garage.

Murdoc did as he was ordered. On the roof, Mac saw a large skylight. Peering down, he spotted someone moving below. To his shock, the person wore a lab coat. There was something oddly familiar about the guy, something about the pointed shape of his bald head. Where did he know him from? Whoever he was, he walked across the now empty workshop space to an office at the back.

Mac frowned. The man didn’t come back out.

Hurrying across the roof, Mac came to where the camera was mounted. He swung the bag over it, tying a knot to keep it from blowing away.

“Very nice work,” Murdoc called from below. “Took you long enough.”

Mac dropped down. “Saw someone in there.”

“Just one?” Murdoc asked, making quick work of unlocking the door with a mechanical lockpick.

“Just the one,” Mac said, hanging back. If anyone came blasting through the doorway, he was more than happy for Murdoc to take the fall. “How many are you expecting?”

“Intel would suggest that’s our man,” Murdoc said, ignoring the question.

“Intel?” Mac scoffed.

“Let’s just say my employer knows a thing or two about this,” Murdoc replied, stepping through like he was a welcome and expected visitor.

“Wanna give me a name?” Mac asked. “You realize with Phoenix’s resources –”

“They’d take all the fun away,” Murdoc said. “Our friend here is one Doctor Patrick Hubert.”

Mac blinked. He knew that name. Hubert had been mentioned on a briefing slide as having links to a range of criminal networks, some of which Phoenix was only beginning to unravel. The scientist was known for his unsanctioned experiments on humans, most notably on creating deadly hybrid plants. Apparently he’d gone underground. And now, Mac’s involvement here seemed a lot less like a whim of Murdoc’s. Someone had to know Hubert would be on all kinds of watchlists. Not only because of his dangerous approach to science, but also his propensity taking money, making promises, and then disappearing before he delivered.

And Murdoc’s employer’s real reason for sending someone in seemed less about stopping a bioweapon and a lot more about money. Mac couldn’t let Murdoc kill Hubert. Phoenix needed him alive. He’d be the source of so much intel.

There was no way Murdoc wouldn’t know that.

Murdoc moved across the old garage, headed for the office. Mac looked around, hoping to find something he could grab and use, but the place was empty. Crap. He needed to be careful. Somehow, he had to see this through without letting Murdoc or Hubert kill anyone.

They reached the office at the back of the garage. There, a large hole waited in the ground. It might’ve been a trapdoor once, but someone had widened it and created a rickety staircase leading down.

“After you,” Murdoc said.

Of course he wanted Mac to go first. He headed down, moving slow, senses straining for any sign of movement. The stairs took him directly into the hydroponics bay. Mac spotted the room from the footage at the far end.

He didn’t see Hubert. He could just see fields of strange flowers. The air was full of their sickly stench. He resisted the urge to pick one. Some poisons could be easily absorbed through the skin. He didn’t want to find out the hard way if these flowers would kill him with a simple touch. He didn’t really want to breathe in any pollen either, but given that Murdoc didn’t seem to care, it seemed pointless to worry about it.

Murdoc slipped past him, heading for the room at the back. Mac hurried to keep up. Murdoc grabbed the door, pulling it open. Even he couldn’t quite keep the look of disgust off his face as the thick stench of death rolled out. Mac backed up a step.

That was probably what saved his life.

His and Murdoc’s.

Hubert came at them from behind in a gas mask, an aerosol can in his hands. Mac’s arm whipped out, smacking Hubert’s arm aside. He pushed forward, knocking Hubert back while grabbing the aerosol out of his hands. He held it tight, not wanting anyone else to get their hands on it. But before he could take another swing at Hubert, Murdoc was there, gun shining in the lamplight. He shoved Hubert onto the ground, pinning him there with a foot. He kept his weapon aimed squarely at the man’s chest.

“Oh, hello there, Hubert. Or Patrick. Paddy? Pat? What would you like me to call you?”

“Murdoc!” Mac warned.

“Not now. I need to have a word with the good doctor here.”

Hubert raised both his hands, his body trembling. “I-I-I’ll do anything you want.”

“I’m sure you will.” Murdoc reached down, ripping the man’s mask off. “Ah, there he is. Quite the picture of a weasel, wouldn’t you agree, Angus?”

“I’m not gonna let you kill him,” Mac said, although right now he wasn’t exactly sure how he’d be able to stop Murdoc.

“You know, I keep telling him I’m not interested in killing you but he simply doesn’t believe me,” Murdoc said. “See, the truth is, Pat, I’m gonna call you Pat, okay? Yes, the truth is, you’ve taken some money from some very important people and they’re rather keen on getting it back. Well, the money and this little weapon you’ve made but as you can see, Uncle Sam’s nephew over there already put a stop to that.”

Shaking his head at Murdoc’s antics, Mac slid the aerosol can into a pocket. As soon as he could find something more secure to hold it in, he would. He moved closer to the pair. “What have you been creating?” he asked.

Hubert swallowed hard. “A hybrid,” he said. “One with pollen that forms a lethal poison.”

“And you were going to use that on my good buddy here?” Murdoc demanded.

“What else was I supposed to do?” Hubert cried out.

Murdoc punched him, striking too fast for Mac to intercept. Bone crunched, blood spurted. Hubert fell back, moaning.

“Who are you making it for?” Mac demanded.

“Anyone. Everyone. People who’ll pay.”

“Except you haven’t been supplying it, have you?” Murdoc said. “As I said, you’ve taken a lot of people’s money and not given them any of what they paid for.”

“Science does not come cheap,” Hubert mumbled.

“No, I can see that,” Murdoc said. “So I sincerely hope you have a large safe nearby, or the details for your bank account, otherwise we’re going to have quite a serious problem.”

As the man gabbled something about yes, he had a safe, and yes, it contained all the money he had, another thought occurred to Mac. “How’d you get people down here?” he asked. Because one look at Patrick Hubert told him this was not a man with the physical prowess needed to overpower other human beings.

Murdoc’s eyes lit up with pleasure. “Did you hire a goon?” he asked. “Oh, please tell me you did because –”

The gunshot missed them by a whisker, shattering one of the labs overhead lamps instead. Mac threw himself to the ground, taking cover under a tray of flowers. He watched Murdoc fire back as Hubert scrambled. Mac couldn’t let the man get away, but he also wasn’t about to throw himself into the line of fire for anyone in this room right now.

Suddenly, Murdoc dropped and rolled, coming to a stop beside Mac. His eyes were manic, his face split with an insane grin. “Guess this makes me your overwatch!” he crowed.

“You’re gonna lose your man if you don’t do something,” Mac shot back.

“Me? You should try something yourself!” Murdoc rolled away again before Mac could respond.

Looking at his surroundings, Mac spotted something he could definitely use. Amonium nitrate fertilizer. Explosive fertilizer. Just a little and he’d be able to create enough of a diversion to get out of the lab, grab Hubert, and find a way to make contact with Phoenix.

With Murdoc and the gunman still exchanging fire, Mac made quick use of the lab supplies to build a small device. Setting it in the soil, taking care not to let the plants touch his skin, he ducked down just as it went off, flowers and soil raining down.

The gunfire stopped. Hubert took his moment to scramble for the exit. Mac went after him. Hubert raced upstairs. He was surprisingly fit for an older guy who looked like he hadn’t seen sunlight in several years. As he ran through the office, Mac saw him grab a large duffle. A worrying metallic clunk told Mac it wasn’t money sitting in that bag. Hubert pulled a phone out of his pocket. Mac didn’t give him time to dial. He tackled Hubert to the ground, the bag and the phone sliding across the old garage.

“You have to let me go!” Hubert cried out, squirming beneath Mac’s grip. “You have no idea who that man is! What he’ll do to me!”

“All the more reason to cooperate with me,” Mac said. “I can keep you safe.”

“Yeah, in a prison cell!” Hubert scoffed.

“Better a cell than tortured,” Mac snapped.

Two shots rang out from below, followed by a cry that was distinct and definitely not Murdoc. Mac was running out of time. Punching Hubert, he ran over to his phone, swept it off the ground, and used the man’s thumb to unlock it. He just about had time to dial Jack’s number before Murdoc came into sight.

He looked genuinely disappointed to see the phone in Mac’s hand.

Which was probably why it shouldn’t have come as a surprise when the gun in Murdoc’s hand shifted its aim.

Fired once.

Fiery pain lodged itself in Mac’s leg. It collapsed from under him, driving him onto the concrete ground.

The phone fell from Mac’s hand, just as Jack’s voice emerged from it.

“What were you going to do?” Murdoc demanded. “Take this man into some kind of protective custody?”

Mac forced himself to sit upright. Blood welled up from the injury to his left thigh, although one look told him he’d had a lucky escape; the bullet had gouged a deep path through his thigh but hadn’t become lodged in his leg. Something told him Murdoc had done it on purpose. “Guess you know me pretty well,” he said.

“Yes, I do, Angus.” Murdoc’s earlier levity disappeared beneath a dark cloud. “And I guess you know me pretty well too.”

His gun swung around to Hubert. Two gunshots took the man down. He hadn’t been as lucky as Mac. He’d taken one shot between the eyes and another directly to the heart.

Murdoc strolled over to Mac. He took his time crouching down, reaching over to the phone where Jack’s voice could still be heard.

“Well, well, well, if it isn’t Jack Dalton yapping away like the dog he is,” Murdoc purred. “I suppose you’ve already traced the call and have local PD on their way. You see, unlike our mutual friend here, I’m a man of my word. See, I was perfectly willing to do as I promised!” he spat the words out, glaring at Mac. “The target for me, the weapon for you. But Mac, naïve fool that he is, decided to try and save the life of a very bad man. So he’s paying the price.”

Murdoc stamped on Mac’s wounded leg. Pain screamed through him. Mac couldn’t hold back his own cry of agony.

“See, the thing is, this weapon we’ve found here could net me a lot of money.” Murdoc kept the pressure on Mac’s leg, pushing harder and harder. Blood welled out of Mac’s leg, oozing over Murdoc’s shiny shoe. “It’s a fairly deadly toxin, based on the videos my employer showed me. The question now is, do I leave it for Phoenix, or do I take it to teach you all a lesson? Hmmm, decisions, decisions!”

Mac thought of the aerosol in his pocket. Could he get to it? Did he have it in him to use it, when he’d seen the effect it would have? Pain thickened his thoughts, left him hot and nauseous. Could he knowingly cause even the likes of Murdoc such a terrible death?

“So how about you beg?” Murdoc said down the phone. He gave Mac’s leg another stamp, this one so hard Mac almost blacked out. “Beg for your partner’s life?”

In the distance, Mac thought he heard sirens. Or maybe it was just the ringing in his ears. Watching his own blood oozing across the concrete ground, he felt increasingly disconnected from reality. Was any of today really happening, or was this some kind of dream?

“Oh, that’s very good, Jack!” Murdoc said, laughter bursting out of him. “Very paternal! I like it.” He ambled away, heading to the duffle bag. “I almost feel bad for what I’ve done.” He opened the bag, whistling. “Lucky for you, it looks like maybe this wasn’t all for a lost cause.” Through blurring eyes, Mac saw Murdoc pull a massive wad of cash out of the bag. “Fine. You’ve won me over with your words. The boy scout lives to fight another day. But make no mistake, the next time we meet, I won’t be in such a giving mood.”

Murdoc ended the call by dropping the phone to the ground and putting a bullet through it. He returned to Mac’s side, crouching down and patting him on the cheeks. Mac could barely keep his eyes open, the pain throbbing in his leg too intense as blood pumped out of him.

“Better hope some of those sirens are paramedics,” Murdoc said. He grabbed Mac’s injured leg, coating his hand in blood. He reached up, ruffling Mac’s hair, leaving a hot, tacky imprint. “This is what you get for going back on our deal this time,” he said. “Try it again, and I may aim a lot higher. I like you, MacGyver, but only while you’re of use to me. Betray me again, and you will die. Horribly. Slowly. It’ll be beautiful.”

And with that, Murdoc was gone, sliding out of the garage like he’d never been there.

Mac rolled over, even as his vision faded to black. The last thing he saw was the aerosol cans from the bag all neatly arranged around Hubert’s body.

* * *

Coming around with a throbbing pain in the leg was never, ever a good sign.

“I’ll kill him, Matty. If I find him, Murdoc’s a dead man.”

The lack of an audible response confused Mac. Why wasn’t Matty answering Jack?

“Yeah, I know. Big picture. Got it. But I swear, if he ever pulls something like this again, I’m gonna –”

Mac’s dozy brain took a few seconds to catch up. Who had pulled what again? He forced his eyes open, and he tried to make sense of what he saw.

Big window.

IV pole.

Monitors.

Water jug.

Jack, with his back to him.

And then it all came back.

Murdoc.

The lab.

The now very dead scientist.

“I don’t care if we got our hands on some terrible chemical weapon before it could be used on an innocent population, Murdoc screwed with him again and –” And Jack fell silent when he turned back and saw Mac staring at him. “And I will call you back later, Matty, gotta go, bye.” He dropped the phone into his pocket. “Man, are you a sight for sore eyes. How you feeling?”

How was he feeling? “Kinda out of it.”

“Yeah, I bet.” Jack poured out a glass of water and stuck a straw in it, helping Mac sip it. “There ya go. Good news is your leg’s gonna be fine. Bad news is Murdoc got away.”

“You find the lab?” Mac asked.

“Yeah, and those canisters. Good thing no one tried giving ‘em a spray. The chemists say it’s a toxin up there with ricin. Nasty shit, man. Real nasty.”

Mac scrubbed his face. It did not help chase the drowsiness or the pain away. “The lab?”

“Well, someone, and I’m not sure who, made at least one bed of flowers go kaboom.”

Mac smiled faintly.

“The rest of it will be studied in case an antidote can be created,” Jack said. “But that ain’t nothing you need to be worrying about right now. How ‘bout we get you some more pain meds so you can get some more sleep?”

“There’s no sign of Murdoc?” Mac asked. The idea that he might be out there with even a single aerosol can left Mac nauseous.

“None. Guy’s as slippery as an eel. Chances are he had his exit route planned out from the start so he’d always evade all law enforcement.” Jack hit the call button. “But we found a case that would’ve taken forty canisters and the good news is all forty are accounted for, including the one they found on you.”

As the nurse came in and did her checks, Mac found himself pondering over the apparent reality that Murdoc had, indeed, kept his word. He had allowed Phoenix to take possession of the new weapon. And as a flush of new pain relief washed through him and the nurse took her leave, Mac found himself with one more question for Jack.

“Did you find a safe?”

“Yeah. Cleaned out.”

So, Murdoc had found the time to get what he’d come for too.

“That was a weird mission,” Mac mumbled as he sank back into sleep.

“Yeah, try not to make a habit out of it,” Jack said.

Mac was asleep before he could promise not to.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks so much for reading. I'll be back with one more MacGyver fic in April :)


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